Wide lanes, slick balls: U.S. players adjust to international game

LAS VEGAS -- Chris Paul already has a handle on the slick-surfaced, extra-bouncy, two-tone basketball he'll use in the world championships next month.

"It looks different and it feels a little different, but I don't really have a problem with it," the New Orleans Hornets guard says, holding the Japanese-made, orange-and-tan ball in his left hand after practice with the U.S. national team. "There's a lot of different things about this tournament."

Indeed. Elsewhere on UNLV's practice courts on Saturday, Elton Brand was getting reacquainted with the international game's trapezoidal key during a scrimmage officiated by FIBA referees, while Carmelo Anthony waited for the chance to steal an opponent's rebound off the rim -- something that's illegal at his day job.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski is immersing his roster of NBA players in the international game during this training camp. Those differences largely eluded the last two U.S. teams in world competition, and they're a big reason why the Americans came home without championships despite a wealth of individual talent.

"We know we've got to pay attention to the little things," said Brand, who led the Los Angeles Clippers to the second round of the playoffs. "Sometimes you start thinking we can do the same things we do in the NBA, but it's a totally different game. That's how the world evens it up with us. We've got so much talent, but the differences can level it off."

This plan was hatched by U.S. managing director Jerry Colangelo and the coaching staff, who restructured the U.S. national program with an eye toward the international game after a sixth-place finish in the 2002 world championships, followed by Olympic bronze two years ago in Athens.

Primarily, Colangelo and Krzyzewski knew the U.S. had to rethink its approach to offense -- a step that seems obvious after watching any international game dominated by perimeter scorers and slashing penetrators. Previous American teams sometimes tried to play a low post-dominated game, and paid for it.

"That was the key in the selection process, too," Krzyzewski said. "We had to have versatility. The international game is played more on the 3-point line than in the low post. ... It seems like a simple thing, but they didn't make the most of it in the past."

So Krzyzewski enlisted Mike D'Antoni, whose uptempo, sharpshooting offense with the Phoenix Suns has wowed the NBA for two seasons. D'Antoni, a veteran of 21 seasons in the Italian League as a player and coach, already has installed large parts of his offense during the U.S. team's first four days of practice.

And nobody is more thrilled than Paul, the best pure point guard on the roster: He essentially fills the role of Steve Nash, who won two MVP awards running this offense for Phoenix. After years of using shoot-first point guards such as Stephon Marbury, Allen Iverson and Baron Davis in international competition, Paul provides a change of pace.

"He gets the ball up the court so fast," Krzyzewski said. "We have to be in shape to run with him."

During scrimmage drills, Krzyzewski's assistants encourage big men Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh to grab rebounds out of the imaginary cylinder above the rim -- something they've been trained not to do since childhood. The trapezoidal key also presents challenges to Howard, who must rethink his footwork and positioning under the basket.

Krzyzewski's team won't play much zone defense in Japan, but the coach knew his players would need experience against it. So Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim joined the staff, teaching ways to attack his famed zone schemes.

Portland coach Nate McMillan is in charge of Krzyzewski's defense, which emphasizes dogged pursuit of the perimeter shooters and slashing penetrators who dominate international play.

"Over the last few competitions, they've had a few too many open looks," Krzyzewski said.

But practice time is the most important aspect of the new U.S. plan: Previous American teams got little, jumping into competition after a cursory camp. Krzyzewski's club will have 10 days of training in Las Vegas, capped by an exhibition game. Then the Americans will embark on a tour of China and Korea, featuring at least seven full practices among four exhibition games.

When the Americans open the world championships against Puerto Rico in Sapporo on Aug. 19, a zone defense or a slick basketball shouldn't be such an obstacle.